Rotating display sign



D 1955 M. D. HARRIS 2,727,324

ROTATING DISPLAY SIGN Filed 'oct. 6, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l mvENTOR MURRAY D. HARRIS Dec. 20, 1955 M. D. HARRIS ROTATING DISPLAY SIGN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 6, 1952 mvENToR MURRAY D. HARR S ATTORNEYS United States Patent ROTATIN G DISBLAY iSlGN 'MurrayID. Harris,'Murrayville, British Columbia, Canada Application iflctdber .6, 1952, Serial .No. $113,313 -4 Claims. .(Cl. 40-130,)

.Thisa'nventionrelates .to.a rotating :displaysign .capable xofrproducing a wide variety of visual :effects.

.Antobject of the .present invention istth'e provision ;of (a Kl'splayisignrhaving at least two concentric rotors capable 10f rotating in opposite directions .and which :arecapable .ofproducingumiquee'fiects.

.At'present, .a great deal .of .efiort is .heingiusedzto ,proam display .or advertising signs havingmoving'or rotatingelements. In most cases, 'the vefiiect only partially successful :since the .apparent movement is obtained by Ike display sign according :to :this invention may :be -.medrby itself, torit mayrhe incorporated into a .largerisign. :In-z either :case, the present device includes two concentric and means 'forrotating them in opposite directions. -I-3ach :rotor is :provided with illuminating means which emay :beiinithe form ofa-.plurality=of bulbs, neon tubes 101' author lighting equipment. ilhe illuminating means may include any colour or combinationtofcolours to produce a desired effect. It has been found that when the rotorsare moving in opposite directions, lights of certain colours,produce .colour effects which are entirely different from the original colours.

Anexarnple of this invention 'isillustra'ted in the accom- =panying drawings, in -which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation-of Figure 1's 1 a --plan view-of the sign,

Figure 3 is anenlarged'longitudinal=view through the 8 Figure 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3, and,

Figure 6 is a cross section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, the display sign includes inner and outer rotors 10 and 11 which are concentrically arranged, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3. The rotors 10 and 11 are provided with display surfaces or plates 12 and 13, respectively, facing in the same direction. Each of these plates carries suitable independent illuminating means. As it may be desirable to alter the visual eflfect of the sign by changing the illuminating means or the design thereof, plates 12 and 13 may be removably mounted in their respective rotors in any convenient manner, such as by means of screws 16 and 17, see Figure 3. In the illustrated example, the illuminating means of rotor 10 consists of a plurality of light bulbs 19 projecting outwardly from the plate 12, while that of the outer rotor consists of a plurality of light bulbs 20 projecting outwardly from the plate 13. The sockets for these bulbs are preferably connected in parallel in the usual manner, and the wiring for these is covered by casings 22 and 23 in the inner and outer rotors.

An outer hollow shaft 28 is fixedly connected to the outer rotor 11 at 29 in any convenient manner. means is provided for rotatably supporting this shaft. In

the rotating display Suitable P rthisexample, 'thesshaftzis journalled-in spaced'bearings 30 and 31 fhaving:=supporting standards 32 and '53. Blectri- :eal zconductors .34 and 35 :extend from the wiring housing .23 ofrtheouter 'rotor and ithrough'the shaft.

shaft, and 11118 may :consist of ball bearings 38 and 39 marrying .the inner'shaftand spaced from the outer shaft byinsulating n'ngs 40 and 41. These ringsare provided wvithholes through which conductors '34 and 35-extend. Figure 4 shows holes 42 and 43 in the =41 for -'-this purpose.

Electrical conductors 45 and 46 extend from the'wiring housing 22 in the inner rotor throughthe inner shaft 36.

The outer and inner shafts 28 and 36 may be rotated by belts52 and '53 to separate motors 54and 55. It is obvious thatthe'shafts and their rotors may be turned in the same direction at different speeds, but it is preferable 7 "to rotate them in opposite directions.

A cylindrical housing is aligned with and fixedly secured to the back end of the outer shaft 28. This COH- rings and 71 of the trical conductors and 91 and 82 through the block extension 76 to a suitable source of electrical power, not shown.

A housing 95 similar to housing 60 is aligned With and contact ring 97 and another contact 98 centrally thereof to which the conductors 45 and 46 from the inner rotor are respectively connected. An insulating block 102 fits Elec- 20 of the outer rotor by conductors 90 and 91, brushes 81 and 82, contact rings 70 and 71, and conductors 34 and 35. Simi- .facing in the same and a brush arrangement at the to the rotating elements without any diificulty. The rotation of the light bulbs of the rotors in opposite directions This effect may be produces a very pleasing effect. changedby altering the colours of the bulbs or by rearranging them in different designs. The removable display surfaces or plates 12 and 13 make it possible quickly and easily to change the illuminating designs of the rotors.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A rotating display sign comprising concentrically arranged inner and outer rotors having inner and outer front display surfaces facing in the same direction and in a common plane, illuminating means mounted on each rotor at the display surface thereof independent of that of the other rotor, an outer hollow shaft'connected to and extending rearwardly from the outer rotor, means for rotatably supporting the shaft, an inner hollow shaft connected to the inner rotor and extending through and beyond the outer shaft, power means for rotating said shafts relative to each other, and electrical conductors extending through the shafts for supplying current to the illuminating means of the rotors, whereby the lighting of the rotors rotating relative to eachother blends to produce a novel effect.

2. A rotating display sign comprising concentrically arranged inner and outer rotors having inner and outer front display surfaces removably mounted thereon and direction and in a common plane, illuminating means carried by the display surface of each rotor independent of that hollow shaft connected to and extending rearwardly from the outer rotor, means for rotatably supporting the shaft, and inner hollow shaft connected to the inner rotor and extending through and beyond the outer shaft, power means for rotating said shafts in opposite directions, electrical conductors extending from the illuminating means of each rotor through the shaft connected to the latter, back end of each shaft forming an electrical connection with the conductors in said shaft, whereby the lighting of the rotors rotating in opposite directions blends to produce a novel effect.

3. A rotating display sign comprising an outer annular rotor, an inner rotor within the outer rotor, a front display of the other rotor, an outer 1 surface on and facing outwardly from the inner rotor, an annular front display surface on and facing outwardly from the outer rotor, said display surfaces being in a common plane, illuminating means mounted on each rotor display surface independent of that of the other rotor, the illuminating means of the outer rotor surrounding and being spaced from the illuminating means of the inner rotor, an outer hollow shaft connected to and extending rearwardly from the outer rotor, means for rotatably supporting the shaft, an inner hollow shaft connected to the inner rotor and extending through and beyond the outer shaft, power means for rotating said shafts relative to each other, and electrical conductors extending through the shafts for supplying current to the illuminating means of the rotors, whereby the lighting of the rotors rotating relative to each other blends to produce a novel effect.

4. A rotating display sign comprising an outer annular rotor, an inner rotor within the outer rotor, a front display surface removably mounted on and facing forwardly from the inner rotor, an annular front display surface removably mounted on and facing forwardly from the outer rotor, said display surfaces being in a common plane, illuminating means mounted on each rotor display surface independent of that of the other rotor, the illuminating means of the outer rotor surrounding and being spaced from the illuminating means of the inner rotor, an outer hollow shaft connected to the outer rotor centrally thereof and extending rearwardly therefrom, an inner hollow shaft connected to the inner rotor centrally thereof and extending rearwardly therefrom through and beyond the outer shaft, power means for rotating said shafts relative to each other, and electrical conductors extending through the shafts for supplying current to the illuminating means of the rotors, whereby the lighting of the rotors rotating relative to each other blends to produce a novel effect.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

